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Sparkling Sake is nothing new, but Hakkaisan has challenedged itself to raise the bar and create a premium sparkling sake of note. The result is Hakkaisan’s AWA clear Sparkling Junmai Ginjo sake, which made it’s debut in the US market on June 5th. AWA means bubble, and that is the starting point that explains why this sake is different. Hakkaisan uses an in-bottle secondary fermentation to create CO2 through natural fermentation. This produces a fine and elegant bubble that can best be achieved in this way. The sake is lightly sweet up front with a clean finish and an overall light impression. Perfectly refreshing!

Hakkaisan Arrives in the USAHakkaisan AWA arrived in the USA with a special guest – Mr. Shigemitsu Nagumo, the Toji or Master Brewer at Hakkaisan Brewery. Mr. Nagumo came to New York to introduce the locals to Hakkaisan’s new and premium sparking sake. The launch event was held on the St. Cloud rooftop bar of the Knickerbocker hotel in Times Square. In his short remarks to the guests, Mr. Nagumo told everyone that this event in New York was one of the most fun events he has attended in his career and with a sincere thank you, he got the event off to a great start with a hearty “Kanpai!” (cheers!). It was a beautiful summer’s evening at sunset as guests gathered to try AWA served chilled and crisp into flutes which helped all to enjoy the aroma, taste and presentation of this new premium sparkling sake. Guests commented on the light taste and balance of this new premium sparkling.

How can you serve and pair AWA? Hakkaisan’s AWA clear sparkling sake can be served as you would a sparkling wine, but also in new ways as well. Enjoy AWA as an aperitif before dinner to enliven the palate and wake up the taste buds. AWA also pairs beautifully with appetizers and light salads as well as seafood and shellfish with a special recommendation for oysters. Given the light sweetness on the palate, you can also try AWA with desserts, a favorite match up being a light-as-air chocolate or matcha macaron.

AWA will be available in both 360ml (12 oz) and 720ml (24 oz) sizes. If you are a fan of sparkling wine, AWA will give you an entrance into the world of sake! Welcome and kanpai!

May 15-20th, 2018, come to dinner at Sake Bar METHOD in Hell’s Kitchen. We are offering a one week special on Hakkaisan 3 Year Snow-Aged Junmai Ginjo. This is an aged sake unlike any other you have tried! Matured in stainless steel for 3 years in our frosty snow storage cellar (Yuki Muro), you have to experience this sake!

Order this sake by the glass, carafe or bottle. Try it warm or cold. Customers who order a bottle of the Hakkaisan 3 Year Snow Aged Sake get a special gift from the brewery while supplies last!

The Los Angeles International Wine Competition has been awarding the finest wines from all over the world since 1939, and the finest Japanese Sake since 2009. We are proud to announce our sake awards from 2017, the 78th year of the Los Angeles International Wine competition.

Los Angeles International Wine Competition is the platform for an extensive wine education program available to the nearly 1.3 million visitors at the annual Los Angeles County Fair. The Fair’s wine education center features consumer-driven classes, tastings and displays of the award-winning wines. With the Los Angeles International Wine Competition committed to educating the public about wine, the Fair’s wine education program features industry experts with extensive knowledge about wine growing and selection, wine tasting as well as wine and food pairings.

It is available in New York City, California, Las Vegas, Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle, D.C., Boston, North Carolina, Paris, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Seoul, Singapore, etc. For those you are in Canada, its on the way!!! Toronto, here we come!

This is an umami concentrated sake that pairs wonderfully with aged meat, aged cheese and similar umami rich foods.
Snow has the power to age sake in the best way possible!
Kanpai!

Hakkaisan again attended Toronto Canada’s biggest sake event “KAMPAI Toronto” on June 1st of this year. The Sake Institute of Ontario organized the event which is in its 6th year.. There were over 150 kinds of sake for tasting, and many brewers from Japan were in attendance as well as local restaurants booths to offer delicious food for sake pairing. The event started off with a Sake Seminar by Sake Samurais then tasting sake time for restaurants professionals and the media. A lot of people were sake educated and some traveled from far away cities such as Vancouver or Montreal. At the Hakkaisan booth, we introduced our latest sake “Snow Aged Junmai Ginjo 3 years” for the first time in Canada and gave our guests a pleasant surprise with the story and the taste of this new sake.

The event was opened to the general public in the evening with music and a Japanese drum performance which created a “Matsuri” festival feeling that helped the guests to enjoy sake, food, and a nice ambience. Every year the awareness of sake grows through this event and the event gets bigger and more fun!!

Hakkaisan was invited to the sommelier summit held on April 25th and 26th at Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, CA, USA. Over 100 sommeliers were attended.

This is an annual wine event focuses on one country and its traditional alcohol beverage. This year was Japan and Japanese sake and shochu (spirit). Educational tasting session was held with eight Japanese sake breweries and each brought one kind of sake for tasting. It was a great opportunity to introduce sake world to the wine world, and was interesting to see how wine professionals percept and accept Japanese sake. This opportunity to meet many wine professionals, and see how Japanese sake was taken positively by them left us a great challenge; how can we introduce the wonderful world of sake the way we did here in Napa?

It’s a big challenge, but we are inspired and want to conquer the challenge!

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I hope this letter finds you well. We have an exciting announcement to make!
Hakkaian Brewery is supporting marine adventurer, Mr. Kojiro Shiraishi, who challenges VENDEE GLOBE 2016. We are inspired by his passion and detennination toward the race and are fully supporting his challenge. VENDEE GLOBE is the one of the toughest yacht race in the world that held once every four years. This solitary yacht race goes around the world without stopping and without refilling of any material. Mr. Shiraishi once completed the race with the record of the youngest racer at the age of 26. He has been challenging in different solitary yacht races after his record braking VENDEE GLOBE, and Hakkaisan continuously stay by his side to support.

On May 29, 2016, he will take off the TRANSAT NEW YORK – VENDEE which is preliminary skirmish of VENDEE GLOBE. We would be extremely appreciated your warm applause on his Journey.

• TRANSAT NEW YORK- VENDEE
Preliminary skirmish of VENDEE GLOBE 2016 – 2017, it is a solitary yacht race across the Atlantic Ocean without stopping or refilling of any material. The race starts from New York, USA and reaches Les Sables-d’Olonne, FRANCE by June 11, 2016, and that is the qualification to the VENDEE GLOBE.
• Take off from North Cove Marina (385 South End Ave #7G, New York, NY 10280)
• Race starts May 29, 2016 at 11 :00 in Eastern Standard Time
• GOAL is Les Sables-d’Olonne, FRANCE
• Time limit is June 11, 2016 in France time
• Distance is about 3100 miles (appx. 5,000km)
• TRANSAT NEWYORK-VENDEE Official Home Page

• VENDEE GLOBE
VENDEE GLOBE is designed by Philippe Jeantot, the champion of BOC Challenge for two consecutive years. First race was held in 1989, and it will be the eighth race this year. Yachts starts from Les Sables-d’Olonne, FRANCE on June 6, 2016 and will take about 80 days (appx. 2,000hours) to race around the world in solidary and come back to the starting harbor in Les Sables-d’Olonne, FRANCE.
Yacht is about 60 feet (appx. 18m) and a lonely race that goes around southern hemisphere which is about 26,000 mile (appx. 48,000km).
Designed course starts Les Sables-d’Olonne, FRANCE, go south in Atlantic Ocean and through the Cape of Good Hope, then come out to Indian Ocean and through south side of Australia/New Zealand, and out to South Pacific Ocean, then through in between the Drake Passage and Cape Hom, and come back up North in Atlantic Ocean to aim the goal of Les Sables-d’Olonne, FRANCE.

From May 3rd to 7th, Japanese Kabuki play was performed in the David Ccoperfield Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The special play “SHI SHI O” was created for Las Vegas by Japanese entertainment company, SHO CHIKU.

Hakkaisan sake barrels were used for “Tsumidaru (sake barrels for display)” displayed in front of the theater, also “Kagami Biraki (sake barrel opening) “ at reception and after party of first night. “Kagami Biraki” is done for wishing good luck for rest of the play and showing appreciation of all staff members and sponsors involved.

It was a real honor for us to be a part of this exciting event, also to see many guests enjoyed our sake!

“SHIBUYA” Japanese restaurant in MGM Grand Hotel held a Hakkaisan special dinner. Guests enjoyed course dinner which specially created to pair with Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo, Tokubetsu Honjozo, and Kijoshu.

Hope this was a great opportunity to show Americans to enjoy Japanese theater art and Japanese sake!1

We are hoping this website to be as interactive as possible. Our new blog will let the world know what is going on with Hakkaisan and Sake communities in the world. Our Japan domestic and international events will be informed here. Please leave us comment, and let us know your Hakkasain and/or sake experience!